JP2004265409A - Method and device for controlling document service request from mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more suitably route a service request for a document service accessible from a mobile device. <P>SOLUTION: When a document service request is controlled, a document service request workflow is specified, and the document service request from a mobile device 120 is redirected. The device 120 establishes secure connection to its native network 104 through short-range connection with a document processing device 114 on a foreign network 110 to identify a document 108 stored in a file server 106 operating on the network 104. Once the document 108 is identified, the device 120 issues the document service request through the secure connection by requesting an output server 124 operating on the network 104 to retrieve and convert the identified document 108 into an output-ready format suitable for the device 114. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates generally to document services accessible from mobile devices, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for issuing and initiating document service requests.

  In general, mobile computing devices continue to be subject to storage capacity limitations while being used more and more. That is, although documents can be stored on mobile computing devices, the size and number of documents that can be stored on mobile computing devices tend to be limited. In addition, the general size of documents continues to grow year by year as they include combinations of text, graphics, images, audio, video, and the like. As a result, there is a growing need to manage documents on mobile devices, especially those documents that are not physically on the device.

  In addition to the problem of limited storage on mobile computing devices, there is also a need for real-time access to various documents, including recently created and recently modified documents. That is, even if the document is stored on the mobile computing device, the user may be able to access the mobile computing device from another location, such as when the latest update is not incorporated into the document on the mobile computing device. May need to access the printing device. Alternatively, real-time access to a document is desirable when unexpected access to the document is required, i.e., when the document is not stored on a mobile computing device.

  In addition, as mobile computing devices become increasingly available, there is a growing need to provide secure access to documents stored at home or at home while traveling locally or abroad. Requests to have the opportunity to initiate and control document service requests for documents available in their home country abroad, as well as to check the availability of document services available abroad, away from their home country. Are also getting stronger.

  Token-enabled mobile computing devices have provided one solution to these problems (hereinafter referred to as the "original token-based environment"). The original token-based environment is described in the patent documents listed below.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,321 U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,997 U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,261 U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,716 U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,601 U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,189 U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,760 U.S. Patent No. 6515981 U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,988 US Patent Publication No. 2003/0050963 US Patent Publication No. 2003/0069921 US Patent Publication No. 2003/0196087

  However, even a token enabled mobile computing device having a token enabler unit may not be able to connect to an output device that remains non-token enabled. This is because there is no existing network connection between the token enabled server and its output device. In addition, certain token-enabled mobile computing devices are put in a painful state by improper existing connections to token-enabled output devices. An inappropriate existing connection (i.e., a connection that is not properly made from the source to the destination) as referred to herein means that in an environment where a token-enabled device can successfully communicate using one communication channel instead of another. Can occur. For example, printing on an existing token-based network may require the contents of a document to be sent from a token-enabled server to a printer over an insecure or untrusted network, such as the Internet.

  Further, there are the following problems. Many documents and services that are shared with non-native users (users who are not registered as users on the private network) are stored behind firewalls on the private network. The private networks referred to here are various networks that individually restrict access to the network at the gateway or at each machine. That is, when using mobile computing devices, network security tends to limit the possibility of sharing documents or services between private networks. When applied to document services on external networks, it is often difficult to ensure secure access to documents stored on native networks.

  Generally, networks are connected to other network (s) via gateway (s). To prevent unauthorized access via the gateway, a firewall is installed on the gateway. For example, suppose a private network was built in the form of a corporate intranet connected to a public network such as the Internet via a gateway. The gateway of this private network will have a firewall that checks the message (s) entering and leaving the private network. A message passes through the firewall only if the message meets certain security criteria (eg, those coming from a particular address are directed to a particular port).

  Although there are several solutions, the token-based server and the output device originating at the mobile computing device (with improper network connectivity to the token-based server; for example, having both access rights and access controls) There is a continuing expectation to provide a better route for routing document service requests between those who have no authority over authorized users. I have. It would be even more desirable if such a good route was provided for routing documents and that route would increase security over existing but improper connections between the token-based server and the output device. .

  A method, apparatus, and product provided by an embodiment of the present invention are for submitting a document service request from a mobile device to a document processing device. The document processing device referred to here is a device connected to the first network, and is designed to be compatible with communication with one or more servers connected to the second network. . The connection from the mobile device to the document processing device can be a first connection and a second connection. At the mobile device, a document service request is identified that has a first document format and includes a document identifier for identifying a document on a second network. The document service request, along with the document identifier, is submitted from the mobile device via the first connection to the document processing device to an output server connected to the second network. A document is received at a mobile device from a output server via a first connection with a document processing device in a second format. Note that the second format of the document is the input format of the document processing device. The document received in the second format from the output server is then retransmitted from the mobile device to the document processing device via the second connection with the document processing device to receive a particular document service.

  A method, apparatus and product provided by another embodiment of the present invention controls a plurality of document service requests on a mobile device to be executed on a document processing apparatus. According to the method of the present embodiment, the workflow defined in the job ticket for the document identified by the mobile device is that at least one of a plurality of document service requests should be executed by the document processing apparatus. Identify two or more document service requests. The job ticket is transmitted from the mobile device to the document processing device upon receiving an input indicating that the document service request should be performed on the document processing device. The document processing device sends (a) all the document service requests specified in the job ticket, or (b) sends data indicating the processing result of the document and the job ticket to another document processing device, and sends the job ticket to the other document processing device. Is designed to execute a document service request that has not been processed.

  A method, apparatus, and product provided by another embodiment of the present invention is to redirect a document service request using a mobile device at a first document processing device. At a first document processing apparatus, information identifying a user of the mobile device is received. The first document processing device subsequently identifies those document service requests submitted by the user of the mobile device and determines device status information for the user who submitted the document service request. The first document processing device determines whether the first document processing device can execute the document service request submitted by the user by sending status information about the user who submitted the document service request to the mobile device. And allow mobile device users to rate. Upon receiving, from the mobile device, a document service request submitted by the user that is to be redirected, the first document processing device redirects the received redirect target request to the second document processing device.

A. Operating Environment FIG. 1 shows an operating environment 100 for implementing the present invention. In this operating environment 100, a mobile user 102 is a fully authenticated registered user of a local area network 104 (e.g., a user with a set of access rights), so that the local area network 104 is 104. The mobile user 102 has, for example, access to the file server 106. That is, the mobile user 102 can store a document, such as the document 108, in its directory on the file server 106.

  One state of the operating environment 100 is that the mobile user 102 is physically close to the local area network 110, that is, close to the local area network (foreign network or remote network) 110 which is remote from the native network 104. There is a state that is. In general, the access rights granted to the mobile user 102 on the remote network 110 are very limited (eg, guest rights), but sufficient to access the Internet 122, for example, through the gateway 126 of the foreign network 110. The gateway 126 may have a firewall, and uses a well-known protocol such as HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). The foreign network 110 may be, for example, a company intranet, a network in a public facility (for example, an airport), or a network in a merchandise center such as a food store or a general store.

  A system for providing a document service request is connected to the foreign network 110. Examples include a network access point 112, a multi-function (or document processing) device 114, a display 116 (eg, Xerox LiveBoard ™), and a single-function device 118 (eg, a scanner, facsimile, printer, binder). The document processing device 114 has a device-specific capacity, that is, a capacity related to printing, scanning, faxing, and registration, non-registration with the network 110, or network access by a guest user. These services are provided free of charge or for a fee, depending on the nature of the service and the location where the service is provided. In addition, a device that functions as a network access point, like the display 116 and the single function device 118, can be embedded in the document processing device 114. In general, the network access point functions as a bridge that provides a short range wireless connection between the mobile device 120 and the foreign network 110.

  In other embodiments, the document services available to the document processing device 114 include various hard copy and electronic services that are not device specific, such as translation services, abstract services, format conversion services (eg, optical character recognition (OCR) services). ), Scan-to-file services (eg, storage, Xerox FlowPort ™, etc.), recommender services, messaging services (eg, email, SMS, fax), document location services, enrichment services, etc., per se or device specific All services applicable in addition to services (eg, printing) are described in Section B. 3 can be provided using a document service request workflow described with reference to FIGS. The translation service is a service for translating a document from one language to another using a well-known translation system. The abstract service is a service for summarizing the contents of a document using one of a plurality of well-known methods. The recommender service is a service that issues recommendations using a recommender system such as Knowledge Pump developed by Xerox Corporation. The enrichment service is provided, for example, by a meta-document management system described in US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 543,962. The document location service is provided using, for example, the service disclosed by US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 605,630.

  When away from native network 104, mobile user 102 carries mobile computing device 120. The mobile computing device 120 is a device that can establish communication with at least one of short-range connection devices connected to the foreign network 110. This short-range connection is performed, for example, in RF (radio frequency) according to technology based on the Bluetooth specification or 802.11 (also referred to as WiFi or the like), or in IR (infrared light) according to technology based on IRDA (Infrared Data Association) standard, for example. , A connection that can be established. Examples of the mobile computing device 120 include: a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a portable computer, a communicator, a portable camera, and the like. When the mobile computing device 120 is connected to a network 122, such as the Internet, the mobile user 102 can browse documents available on the network 122, such as the World Wide Web (WWW).

  In addition, the mobile computing device 120 is capable of storing one or more document references (eg, URLs: Uniform Resource Locators) and documents, or either document references or documents. The one or more document references and documents stored on the mobile computing device, or any of the document references or documents, are received, for example, from a server or from another mobile computing device. Alternatively, a document on the WWW is created or identified directly on the mobile computing device 120 while browsing. In one embodiment, the content of the document reference stored on the mobile computing device 120 is stored on the file server 106.

  To establish a network connection within the foreign network 110, the mobile computing device 120 is equipped with one or more transceivers. Each transceiver establishes one or more wireless (or wired) connections (or sessions) and forms one or more independent channels. A communication channel is defined by one or more protocols. For example, HCRP (Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile), Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Profile), Bluetooth LAP (LAN Access Profile), or Bluetooth BPP (Basic Printing Profile). A separate communication channel may be established between mobile device 120 and a single computing device (eg, document processing device 114) or multiple computing devices (eg, document processing device 114 and network access point 112).

  In the operating environment 100 shown in FIG. 1, which will now be described in more detail, the mobile computing device 120 according to an embodiment establishes two types of wireless connections 128 and 130 with the document processing device 114. . In this case, the first wireless connection 128 is based on a Bluetooth LAP connection, and the second wireless connection 130 is based on a Bluetooth SPP connection. Alternatively, both of these wireless connections may be based on two sessions of a single Bluetooth LAP connection. In another embodiment, wireless connections 128 and 130 are established through different network access points.

  The output server 124 is connected to the native network 104. The output server 124 is connected so as to be able to communicate with one or more devices, document services, file servers, or the like, or has a configuration in which they are incorporated. Here, a certain document service including a conversion service for converting a document from a first format to a second format is taken as an example. The first format is a format independent of, for example, a device or an application, and the second format is a format dependent on a device or an application. The output server 124 moves a document to which a document reference, for example, a URL has been given by the server 106, before the document receives the conversion service. In addition, output server 124 includes services similar to document processing device 114, such as translation, OCR, abstracts, recommendations, enrichment, and the like. In one particular embodiment, output server 124 receives the http request with parameters such as the URL of the document, an optional printer type, etc., and returns a print ready file tailored to the particular printer type. Generally, if the printer type is not specified, a general print ready file is generated by a common printer readable page description language, for example, PostScript or PCL.

  In the operating environment 100, a network 122 is bridged between a mobile user's native network 104 and a foreign network 110. The network 122 may be, for example, an unsecured public network, such as the Internet. The network 122 bridges between the network 104 and the network 110 using a dedicated land line, cellular, satellite connection, or the like. Access from the network 122 to these two (private) networks is through their respective (private) network gateways 126. Each gateway 126 may have a respective firewall, which generally allows access to an insecure network, such as the Internet 122, from within a corresponding network using a standardized protocol such as HTTP.

B. User-Initiated Document Service Request This section describes a method for the mobile user 102 to initiate a document service request from the mobile computing device 120 to be performed on the document processing device 114. The document service request may request a document input to the document processing device 114 (eg, a print request) or may provide a document output from the document processing device 114 (eg, a scan request).

B. 1 Service Request to Output Hardcopy Document In the operating environment 100, the mobile user 102 prints the document 108 stored on the file server 106 (or a combination thereof with one or more document service requests). Consider the case of execution by the document processing device 114. In this case, mobile user 102 establishes a secure connection (eg, a VPN: Virtual Private Network) with his native network 104 and browses and identifies document 108 via document processing device 114. Once the document 108 has been identified, the mobile user 102 may request, via a secure connection, the output server 124 to read the identified document 108 and convert it to an output format suitable for the document processing device 114. Issues and initiates a print service request to be executed by the document processing device 114. Receiving the output-ready document 108 (in one embodiment, it does not wait to finish receiving the entire data of the output-ready document 108 to be received. ), The mobile computing device 120 resends the output-ready document 108 to the document processing device 114 and causes the document service request to be performed. In an alternative embodiment, the output-ready document 108 remains on the mobile device 120 (thus skipping operations 206, 208 and 214 in FIG. 2 described below).

  FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail an embodiment of performing a document service request on a mobile computing device 120 that requires a document as input, and in particular, its flow. First, in step 202, a hot spot in the foreign network 110 (ie, a geographic area covered by a wireless access point) is discovered by the mobile device 120 using, for example, the Bluetooth Inquiry and Service Discovery Protocol (SDP). You. Once the hotspot is found at step 202, the mobile computing device 120 establishes a short-range wireless connection with the document processing device 114 at step 204. Here, it is assumed that the document processing device 114 operates as a network access point (in addition, in step 202 or 204, the device type identifier and the list of services available in the document processing device 114 The device 120 may receive it).

  In step 206, the user 102 browses the file server 106 on the native network 104 using the mobile device 120 and via a network access point available on the document processing device 114. If a secure connection needs to be established with the native network 104 (e.g., if the gateway 126 incorporates a firewall), the security level of the connection between the mobile device 120 and the file server 106 may be determined. A secure connection is established based on the authentication communication or the encrypted communication. In some embodiments, the secure connection is established using a VPN. In an alternative embodiment, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) is used to establish a secure connection. When the communication between the mobile device 120 and the file server 106 is encrypted using VPN, the communication in the foreign network 110 and the public network 122 is protected against eavesdropping. In yet another embodiment, the communication connection established between the mobile device 120 and the native network 104 is a non-secure connection.

  While browsing the file server 106 using the mobile device 120 via a secure (eg, VPN) session, the mobile user 102 identifies the document from the directory listing or document received from the file server 106 at step 208. An identifier (for example, a URL) is recorded. In one embodiment, a conventional web browser (eg, Microsoft ™ Internet Explorer) is used on mobile device 120 to identify document 108 on file server 106 and its identifier. When browsing file server 106, information transmitted between file server 106 and mobile device 120 is transmitted to document processing device 114, which is also a network access point. In an alternative embodiment, the document located on mobile device 120 is uploaded to file server 106 and the URL reaches output server 124 directly.

  In step 210, the mobile user 102 selects a document service to be applied to the browsing document identified using the document identifier, from among services associated with the device that established the connection in step 204. In an alternative embodiment, the browsing in steps 206 and 208 is omitted if the document's identifier was previously known or if the document is present on the mobile device. In another embodiment, the mobile user 102 sets the document service request workflow in steps 206 and 210 in Section B. 3 and FIGS. 10 to 16. In step 212, mobile device 120 releases the connection with output server 124, which is a secure session. In some embodiments, the document identifier and device type are transmitted from mobile device 120 to output server 124. In an alternative embodiment, the document and device type are transmitted from mobile device 120 to output server 124.

  In step 214, in response to receiving the document identifier and the device type, the output server (i) locates the document, for example, from the file server 106, and (ii) prepares the document for output on the specified type of device ( (Iii) sending the ready-to-output document 108 to the mobile device 120 via a secure session. Similar to the browsing in steps 206 and 208, in steps 212 and 214, information is transmitted between output server 124 and mobile device 120 via document processing device 114, which is also a network access point.

  In step 216, upon receiving the content of the document ready for output, the mobile device 120 establishes a local connection or session with the document processing device 114. Through this local connection, the mobile device 120 sends the document ready to the document processing device 114 along with the parameters of the document service request, if any (eg, staple, color, bind, duplex, etc., printer parameters). Resubmit the content for. Thus, the document ready for output is subjected to the processing in step 218. In one embodiment, mobile device 120 performs step 216 while simultaneously maintaining two wireless connections or sessions to document processing device 114 (128 and 130 in FIGS. 1 and 2). In this embodiment, the mobile device 120 sends the ready-to-output document 108 to the document processing device 114 via the connection 130 as soon as it is received from the output server 124 via the connection 128 (note that the connection 128 and the 130 may be another session of the same connection).

  In some embodiments, at step 216, first connection 128 forms a secure connection with output server 124 and second connection 130 forms a local connection with document processing device 114. As mentioned above, the first connection 128 can be a Bluetooth LAP connection and the second connection 130 can be a Bluetooth SPP connection. In an alternative embodiment, both connections are two different sessions of a single Bluetooth LAP connection. In another embodiment, wireless connections 128 and 130 are formed by two different devices. For example, the connection 128 with the output server 124 is a connection via the network access point 112, and the connection 130 is with the document processing apparatus 114 using Bluetooth HCRP (Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile) or BPP (Basic Printing Profile). Connect.

  FIG. 5 shows a flow of another embodiment for executing a document service request in a mobile computing device. As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a connection with the document processing device 114 is first established in steps 202 and 204. In a following step 500, the user specifies the document services to be applied at the document processing device 114 and the output server 124, such as image extensions, translations, abstracts, e-mail, OCR, and the like. In this embodiment, the user 102 selects a document, eg, an image, available at the mobile device 120 at step 500, or scans a hardcopy document at step 502 with the document processing device 114 (detailed operation 308). And 310 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3). In some embodiments, Section B. 3, the mobile user 102 defines a document service request workflow at steps 500 and 502, or at either 500 or 502, as described with reference to FIGS.

  Subsequently, in step 504, the document on the mobile device is directly sent to the output server 124 or the scanned document is transmitted to the output server 124 in order to perform processing that cannot be performed by the document processing apparatus 114. The document received in step 214 is processed according to the selected document service request and converted to a format suitable for input to the document processing device 114. Once received over the first connection, the document ready for output is retransmitted to the document processing device via the second connection at step 216 and processed by the document processing device 114 at step 218. . As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first connection may be a secure connection and the second connection may be a local connection.

B. 2 Service Request to Output Electronic Document In the operating environment 100, a mobile user 102 scans a document at a document processing device 114 (or combines one or more alternative or additional document service requests). Execute) and store it as a document 108 in the file server 106. In this case, the mobile user 102 establishes a secure (eg, via a VPN) connection with his native network 104 and identifies the file location via the document processing device 114. Once the file location has been identified, the mobile user 102 may request, via a local connection with the document processing device 114, the input of a hard copy to be scanned to perform the scan to be performed at the document processing device 114. Issue and initiate a service request. Upon receiving the scanned document directly from the document processing device 114, the mobile device 120 retransmits the scanned document to the file server 106 via a secure connection for storage on the file server 106.

  More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a procedure for performing a document service request on the mobile computing device 120. In this flow, when a scan document service is selected, a hardcopy document must be provided as input. As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a short-range wireless connection with the document processing device 114 is first established in steps 202 and 204.

  In steps 302 and 304, similar to steps 206 and 208 in FIG. 2, the user 102 uses the mobile device 120 and the file server 106 on the native network 104 via a network access point available on the document processing device 114. Browse. However, at step 302, unlike step 206, the user identifies the directory location where the processed document is stored. In some embodiments, the mobile user creates a placeholder for the scanned document. See U.S. Patent Application Nos. 10/202043 and 10/202027 in this regard.

  In step 306, user 102 selects a document service to apply to the hardcopy document input to document processing device 114. The electronic output of document processing device 114 is stored in the particular directory location identified in step 302. In another embodiment, the mobile user 102 determines in steps 302 and 306 later that section B. 3 defines the document service request workflow described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16. In an alternative embodiment, steps 302 and 304 are skipped when the user knows in advance the directory location where the electronically processed hardcopy document will be stored. In step 308, a document service request is sent over a local connection established with the document processing device 114.

  In step 310, once the document processing unit 114 has performed a document service request, such as scanning and other processing, such as OCR or abstraction, on the hardcopy input document, the resulting output document, such as the scanned hardcopy document, The electronic representation is transmitted to the mobile device 120. Upon receiving the output document, the mobile device 120 sends the contents of the output document to the file server 106 at steps 312 and 314 to store the content in the selected directory location. In another embodiment, the mobile device 120 is scanned in step 313 while the document processing device 114 simply scans the hardcopy document in step 219 or does not perform all of the requested services. The hardcopy document is sent to a remote server, such as file server 106, to perform one or more other document service requests, such as OCR, abstraction, storage, and the like.

  In one embodiment, steps 310 and 312 are performed while mobile device 120 simultaneously maintains two types of wireless connections or sessions to document processing device 114, such as connections 128 and 130 in FIGS. Be executed. In this embodiment, the mobile device 120 gradually outputs the output document to the file server 106 via a connection 128, eg, a connection using a Bluetooth LAP, upon receipt from the document processing device 114 via a connection 130, eg, a connection using a Bluetooth SPP. And send.

  FIG. 4 shows a flow of another embodiment for executing a document service request on the mobile computing device 120. In this embodiment, the mobile computing device 120 assumes an electronic document as input, performs one or more document services (eg, abstraction, OCR, etc.) and then outputs the electronic document. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a connection with the document processing device 114 is first established in steps 202 and 204. In subsequent steps 207 and 209, the user browses the document and the location where the document is stored.

  Once the document to be serviced, the output device type and the location where the resulting output document is stored are identified in step 211, a document service request is issued and initiated in step 213. In some embodiments, in steps 207 and 211, the mobile user may refer to Section B.11 below with reference to FIGS. As described in 3, the document service request workflow is defined. As in FIG. 2, in step 214, output server 124 retrieves the identified document and formats it for document processing device 114. In some embodiments, the document is trimmed without any special processing for device 114. In an alternative embodiment, the document is trimmed by providing a document service, for example, adding an owner stamp, storing and integrating image data.

  After receipt at mobile device 120, the ready-to-output document is retransmitted to document processing device 114 in step 216. Once the output-ready document 108 has been processed by the document processing device in step 219, the resulting document is sent to the mobile device via the second connection and the file is transmitted in step 313 via the first connection. It is sent to the server 106 and stored at step 315 in a specific directory location. As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first connection can be a secure connection and the second connection can be a local connection.

B. 3 Example of User Interface of Mobile Device FIGS. 6 to 9 show an example of the user interface 600 of the mobile device 120 when the document service request shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is specified. First, when a hot spot is found in step 202, a list of available document services is provided to the user 102 as shown in a window 602 in FIG. 6 ("Available Document Service"). . By selecting a service to browse with cursor 604, user 102 can browse or directly enter the address of document 108, and process document 108 with the process indicated by cursor 702 in FIG. Apply Service "). As shown in FIG. 8, a window 602 showing a list of available services is displayed again, and when printing ("Printing") is selected by the cursor 802, the service is applied to the document 108 identified in FIG. (Printed in this example). Further, as shown in the lower left of FIG. 8, the identifier (picture, model, brand, etc.) of the device selected to execute the service is displayed. In addition, 804 can activate an option 804 for displaying a map indicating the location. At the same time, the service cost window 902 in FIG. 9 is displayed by 806, and the payment method for the document service can be specified in this window (the user is allowed to display the advertisement on the print document). Can be free of charge).

  FIGS. 10 to 14 show an example of the user interface 1000 of the mobile device 120 when the document service request shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is specified. In FIG. 10, after the hotspot is found in step 202 and the status bar 1010 on the user interface 1000 indicates that the document processing apparatus 114 has been connected in response to the hotspot, the user 102 receives one or more copies. A series of document service requests can be specified from the menu 1012 by using the workflow specification. In one embodiment, this is a job ticket that identifies a predetermined workflow template, a user customizable workflow template, or a predetermined and user customizable workflow template. Alternatively, an “Add” button 1014 allows the user 102 to specify a contact to which content (eg, an email or document) should be sent. In addition, a "Set" button 1016 allows the user to set security preferences for content that has been processed according to the operation of 1012 or 1014.

  After selecting the document service workflow template 1110 from the menu 1012 shown in FIG. 11, as shown at 1210 in FIG. 12, a detailed workflow (“Scan” →→) according to the selected template (“Scan, store, summarize & share”). “Store” → “Sum” → “Share”) is shown to the user 102. The user 102 can review and modify the relevant parameters for each stage of the document service workflow 1210. In the example shown in FIG. 12, by selecting the scan stage 1211, storage stage 1212, abstraction stage 1214 and sharing stage 1218 of the document service workflow 1210, the parameters of each stage of the workflow 1210 are reviewed and modified. Or be considered or modified. More specifically, the parameter “10 rows” is selected in the abstracting step 1214 in FIG.

  This workflow example 1210 relates to scanning, storing, abstracting, and sharing a document, but various other workflow examples can be shown. That is, for example, one or more services are selected from scanning, printing, obtaining (playing), storing, formatting, abstracting, translating, sending (eg, e-mail, fax), enriching, etc., document contents. Workflows can be defined. In addition, although this example illustrates a simple path workflow (eg, (1) scan (2) store (3) abstract (4) share), a workflow with a single multiple path (eg, ( 1) scan (2a) storage (3) abstraction (4) sharing path and (2b) printing path instead of (2a)) may be defined. This single or multiple paths may include conditional branches.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, an "add" button 1216 allows the user 102 to add contacts to a distribution list used in the sharing step 1218 of the selected workflow. . In FIG. 13, a user's contact list 1310 including a plurality of contact images appears after the operation of the “add” button, and the user 102 selects one of the images. The user 102 can subsequently add contacts to the shared distribution list by dragging and dropping contacts in his or her contact list 1310 onto the sharing stage 1218 of the workflow 1210. Once all parameters have been reviewed and modified at each stage of the workflow 1218, or reviewed or modified, the document service workflow 1210 is started by selecting the "start" button 1220 in FIG. You. When all the stages of the document service workflow 1210 are completed, an abstracting end screen 1410 is displayed as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 15 shows an example of the document service workflow description 1500 for the document service workflow 1218 shown in FIGS. When described using XML as shown, the workflow description 1500 is created from a template “job ticket” that already exists on the mobile device and allows the user to modify its properties. Alternatively, the job ticket is obtained from the document processing device 114 via a connection to the user's 102 mobile device 120. For example, when adding a contact as shown in FIG. 13, the workflow description 1500 is modified by adding a contact as described in 1512. This (modified) workflow description 1500 can also be transmitted via the (established) connection from the mobile device 120 to a document processing device 114, such as a document service, adapted to perform the particular workflow description. Sent to the document processing device or scanner that initiates the request.

  In this embodiment, the scanning option 1502 and the transfer option 1504 are read by the document processing device 114. Once the input document placed on the scanner is read, the document processing device 114 transfers the file of the scanned document along with the job ticket to a document distribution server that performs the remaining tasks in the distribution option 1505. Of the remaining tasks, the storage option 1506 identifies and stores the scanned document, the abstraction option 1508 identifies and abstracts the scanned document, and the sharing option 1510 identifies the scanned and abstracted document. The specified document is specified and shared, for example, sent by e-mail. Storing, abstracting, and sharing tasks performed subsequent to the transfer task may be performed by one or more document distribution servers. The document distribution server is operated locally and remotely, or locally or remotely, with respect to the document processing server performing the initial (scanning) processing task.

C. Management of Document Service Requests Another aspect of the operating environment 100 relates to management of document service requests once submitted to a device on the foreign network 110, such as a document processing device 114. In this embodiment, the mobile device 120 issues a document service management request. Yet another aspect of the operating environment 100 relates to document service requests issued by devices in the foreign network 110, for example, those sent to the document processing device 114. In this embodiment, the document processing device 114 detects the presence of the mobile user 102 and detects the mobile computing device 120, or detects the presence of the mobile user 102, or detects the mobile computing device 120. To send a service application or to send an application to redirect the submitted service. This redirection is to another more suitable (or functionally suitable) device on the foreign network 110 (or on another network connected to the network 122).

  FIG. 16 shows a flow of a process for managing a document service request submitted to the document processing apparatus 114 using the mobile device 120. First, in steps 1602 and 1604, a connection is established between the mobile device 120 and the document processing device 114. In the first embodiment, in step 1602, the mobile user 102 finds a hotspot with the mobile device 120 and establishes a connection. In the second embodiment, at step 1604, document processing device 114 discovers the presence of mobile computing device 120 within its hotspot.

  In one embodiment, for example, document processing device 114 monitors device signal strength within the hot spot. By using Bluetooth wireless technology, a device located within 10 meters can be detected. When the mobile device 120 is within the range of the RF channel, the document processing apparatus 114 establishes a connection with the mobile device 120 using this technique and measures an RSSI (Receiving Signal Strength Indicator) value. The RSSI value is used to determine whether the mobile user 102 is approaching or away from the document processing device 114.

  At step 1606, document processing device 114 receives information identifying mobile user 102 of mobile device 120. In some embodiments, the mobile user 102 has access rights on the foreign network 110 and is therefore recognized by devices connected to the foreign network 110. In an alternative embodiment, the mobile user 102 is not recognized on the foreign network 110 and is subject to registration. The user 102 is registered using, for example, the unique MMAC address of the mobile device 120.

  In step 1608, document processing device 114 identifies a document service request submitted by the identified mobile user 102. In some embodiments, document processing device 114 requests the system manager to identify a document service request at a location on the system. In this embodiment, if the resource is available to the system, document processing device 114 begins to process the identified document service request (this may be due to a user physically close to the document processing system from a user). The benefit of speeding up service requests).

  In an alternative embodiment, document processing device 114 makes a request to a shared document (print) server (which spools and executes the print request) for user 102's service request. The document (print) server may be a stand-alone device on the foreign network 110 or a device constituting a part of the document processing device 114 or the like. In addition, in this embodiment, the document processing device 114 can acquire a process ready (for example, a file in a PDL (Page Description Language) format) even when the service request is not directed to the document processing device 114. . Once the pre-processing is completed (i.e., the service request is ready for output processing), the document processing device 114 holds the service request of the user 102 to execute the service request on that device, as described below with respect to step 1620. I do. This has the advantage that the output processing speed is increased once the confirmation that the service request is to be executed is received by the mobile device 120 that has pre-processed the service request. Further, this provides some assurance that the service request will be performed by the physically existing user 102.

  At step 1610, document processing device 114 determines status information for each identified document request from user 102. The status information includes information on the property, for example, information on color, multiplexing, finishing, number of copies, job length, job complexity, and the like, and information on the completion state. In step 1612, the document processing device 114 relates to its functional status, for example, various malfunctions or warnings of the device (eg, status of other document service requests not submitted by the user, such as a multi-copy print job being printed). Determine status information.

  In step 1614, the document processing device 114 may provide the mobile device 120 with each service of the mobile user 102 by itself, eg, as shown in step 1604, or in response to a request from the mobile device 120, eg, in step 1602. Sends information about the request, along with its functional status information and operational status information. After receipt, this information is stored in a format with device identification information and as a list of service requests with properties and completion status.

  Once step 1614 is performed, at step 1616 the mobile user 102 selects a document service request to redirect to another document processing device (if any). This may be sent directly by the user 102 or may be obtained by the redirect destination device based on the selection of the user 102. If no service request is selected by the user 102 in step 1616, the management of the document service request is terminated in step 1622 and ends normally (the service request reproduced from the document (print) server, ie, not the original). (Those not submitted and processed (printed) by the document processing device 114) are deleted.) Conversely, if there is a document service request to be redirected, at step 1618 the document processing device 114 causes the mobile device 120 to list the document processing device that will execute the document service request that has been selected as an alternative or redirected. I will provide a.

  In step 1620, after receiving information about the selected alternative document processing device, document processing device 114 redirects the selected document service request (directly or indirectly via a document (print) server). . In addition, in step 1620, the document processing device 114 provides the mobile device 120 with the direction and image, or the direction or image, of the document processing device to which the document service request selected by the mobile user 102 is to be redirected. Thereafter, in step 1622, the connection is terminated and the normal operation is terminated (that is, the processing is continued for the service request pending in the system).

D. Others One skilled in the art will appreciate that in certain embodiments, a document service request can be performed via a local connection from the mobile computing device 120 to the document processing device 114, particularly US patent applications Ser. It will be appreciated that this may be performed by the user interface extensions described in US Pat. The user interface extension in these U.S. applications allows for data entry from a mobile computing device via a compatible communication port within a field of a user interface of a document processing device. The document processing device in this alternative embodiment has a user interface field that contains the field where the data is to be entered. The user tells the machine that data is coming from the mobile communication device. The marking machine monitors communication ports that are open for mobile communication device data. The user enters or selects data to be transmitted from the mobile communication device, and indicates that the data is ready for transmission, and the mobile communication device transmits the data to the marking machine.

  Similarly, those skilled in the art will appreciate the following advantages with respect to the retransmission of data received by the mobile device 120 or looping of data over the connections 128 and 130 by the document processing device 114. First, since the processing when issuing a document service request in the native network 104 is network technology-dependent, if the firewall 126 of the foreign network 110 has a standard configuration, the public or native through the firewall 126 can be used. Access to the network 104 becomes possible. That is, as long as a server on the native network 104 is accessible from the network 122, whether from the foreign network 110 or not, the mobile device 120 will be able to connect to documents available within the native network 104 that can securely connect to the document. On the other hand, a document service request can be applied. Second, during data retransmission or looping, mobile device 120 requires minimal power and minimal memory capacity. This eliminates the need to cache the entire document before transmission (or before processing (file ready for printing) or after processing). Third, upon retransmission or looping of data, the mobile device 120 that has been authenticated on the native network 104 can continue to be secure. Therefore, it is not necessary for the foreign network 110 to acquire any access right to the native network 104.

  In one particular embodiment, network access point 112 is a Bluetooth-to-Ethernet® access point, such as BlueLine® manufactured by Roving Networks Inc., for example. By using this type of access point, for example, an old device in which Bluetooth is installed can be connected by, for example, Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Profile) via a USB port or the like of the access point. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a conventional printer 132 is connected by a network access point 112. At this time, it is not necessary to change the configuration when receiving the document service request by the above-described method.

  Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that native network 104 may include Internet hosting services. In such an embodiment, the document may be a regular web page stored on a file server with little or no access restricted. Thus, in this embodiment, the connection 128 described above between the mobile device 120 and the server 106, or between the mobile device 120 or the server 106 and the output server 124, may not be secure (ie, a VPN connection or the like). No need to establish).

  Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the functions of the file server 106 and the output server 124 can be realized by a plurality of servers distributed in one or a plurality of networks. Further, the functions of the file server 106 and the output server 124 can be realized as a part of a single application running on one or more servers.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation environment for executing the present invention. 4 is a flow diagram of an embodiment for performing a document service request on a mobile computing device that requires a document as input. 9 is a flow diagram of another embodiment for performing a document service request on a mobile computing device that requires a hardcopy document as input. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of yet another embodiment for performing a document service request on a mobile computing device that requires an electronic document as input. 10 is a flowchart of yet another embodiment of performing a document service request on a mobile computing device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a user interface for specifying the document service request illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5; FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a workflow description of the document service request workflow illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 14. 4 is a flowchart of managing a document service request submitted to a document processing apparatus using a mobile device.

Explanation of reference numerals

  100 operating environment, 102 mobile user, 104, 110 local area network, 106 file server, 108 document, 112 network access point, 114 multifunction (or document processing) device, 116 display, 118 single function device, 120 mobile computing device , 122 Internet, 124 output server, 126 gateway, 128, 130 wireless connection, 600, 1000 user interface.

Claims (3)

A method of submitting a document service request from a mobile device to a document processing device connected to a first network and communicable with one or more servers connected to a second network, the method comprising:
Establishing first and second connections from the mobile device to the document processing device;
Identifying at the mobile device a document service request including a document identifier for identifying a document having a first document format and having a location on a second network;
Submitting a document service request along with the device identifier from the mobile device via a first connection with the document processing device to an output server connected to the second network;
Receiving at a mobile device a document having a second format, which is an input format of the document processing device, from an output server via a first connection with the document processing device;
Retransmitting the document having the second format received from the output server from the mobile device to the document processing device performing the identified document service via a second connection with the document processing device;
Having a method. A method for controlling, on a mobile device, a plurality of document service requests performed on a document processing device, comprising:
Defining a workflow for identifying two or more document service requests in a job ticket for a document identified at a mobile device, at least one of which is to be executed at a document processing device;
Transmitting a job ticket from the mobile device to the document processing device in response to receiving an input of a command to execute the document service request in the document processing device;
Has,
The document processing device executes (a) all the document service requests specified in the job ticket, or (b) forwards the processed document result data and the job ticket to another document processing device, and A method of causing the other document processing device to execute an unfinished one of the document service requests specified in the above. A method for redirecting a document service request using a mobile device in a first document processing apparatus, comprising:
Receiving information identifying a user of a mobile device at a first document processing apparatus;
Identifying a document service request filed by a mobile device user at a first document processing device;
Determining status information about the user who submitted the document service request at the first document processing device;
Status information about the user who submitted the document service request from the first document processing device to the mobile device so that the user of the mobile device can determine whether the first document processing device can fulfill the document service request submitted by the user. And sending;
Has,
In response to receiving from the mobile device, at the first document processing device, some of the document service requests submitted by the user are selected for redirection, and the first document processing device is selected for the redirection. Redirecting some document service requests to a second document processing device.

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